13-Year-Old Aiden Zhou Swims 1:53.01 in the 200 Yard Back in Santa Clara

2023 Santa Clara Swim Club Senior 2 T&F

• December 8-10, 2023
• George F. Haines International Swim Center, Santa Clara, California
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Meet Results

13-year-old Aiden Zhou swam his way up the national age rankings two weeks ago at a Santa Clara Swim Club hosted senior meet.

While most of the area’s top swimmers were racing at Winter Juniors or preparing for Sectionals, others like Zhou finished their year at this meet.

In spite of being only 13, Zhou won the 200 yard backstroke against a field of much older swimmers, posting a new best time of 1:53.10. That knocks more than a second-and-a-half from his previous best time of 1:54.85 done a week earlier and in total this season has taken more than six seconds off his best in that event.

That makes him the 2nd-fastest 13-year-old in the nation this season behind only Denzo Senekal of the Greater Orlando Aquatics Team, who a week prior posted a 1:50.41.

At this meet, Zhou also finished 2nd in the 100 back with a 52.26 that makes him the 5th-best 13-year-old in the nation this season.

He wasn’t the only young performer to have a field day at this meet. 12-year-old Fedor Igoshin from Orinda Aquatics swam 2:00.19 in the 200 fly, 4:18.01 in the 400 IM, 2:15.59 in the 200 breast, and 2:03.59 in the 200 IM. Those times rank him 19th, 71st, 44th, and 14th all-time in the age group, respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum, US National Teamer Brandon Fischer, who is 34, won the 100 breast in 53.20, the 200 breast in 1:56.99, and the 200 IM in 1:51.43. Those are all season bests for him.

Other Standout Performances:

• 16-year-old Dar Lavrenko from Los Altos Mountain View Aquatic Club and 15-year-old Clark Kent Apuada from Quicksilver Swimming had good head-to-head battles in the boys’ sprint freestyles that led to personal bests for both swimmers. Lavrenko won the 50 in 20.56 to Apuada’s 21.24, then again in the 100 free with a 45.21 to Apuada’s 46.03. Apuada got a win in the meet in the 100 fly, swimming a best time of 50.46. Apuada made headlines a few years ago for breaking Michael Phelps’ record at the Far Western Championships.